hapless hacking and Actual Riding log

[Mitchy1nge]

is the riding log full now? Haven't seen it for ages.

Anyway we (well, me and the horse) are back in very light work at last, 2013 can finally begin!

What are your goals?

[TeenagersDriveMeMad]

I'm trying to bring DMare back into work after 8 weeks off - original plan was 2 weeks walk hacks.

Second hack was today and we bounced sideways for most of it .

[OscarWinningActress]

Hello! May I join? I started riding again at the beginning of the summer after a fifteen year break (had a horse as a teenager) and last week purchased my first 'grown-up' horse (the grown-up is me). He's a four year year old TB gelding and he's the sweetest boy ever. He's quite green and we need to work on a lot of basics but I think we'll have a lot of fun together. This morning I rode him for 45 minutes. We worked on walk-trot transitions and keeping impulsion through corners. His default mode in the ring is still 'wiggly line' so we also worked on keeping nice and straight on the sides of the ring and bending around the corners. Lots of circles and a few serpentines. We also worked on tackling the "terrifying" puddle in the corner of the ring and by the end he was splashing through with enthusiasm. I was very proud and made a MASSIVE, soppy fuss of him There was a man working on the fence as I was riding who probably now thinks I'm a certified nut-job . I don't care, it works .

Tomorrow I have a lesson and on Wednesday I'm going to try lunging him, in an effort to get him a bit more supple (I bought a line and whip). Will let you know how it goes.

[mrslaughan]

well done OWA - sounds amazing

I am horse shopping - but looking for something far my schoolmaster-y!

[OscarWinningActress]

That's fab, Mrs! Keep us posted .

[Bonkey]

Hello, can I barge in too please even if I'm not currently riding?
Long story but the short version is: Bought a horse that was being mistreated - ex racehorse - as you do....after him having the summer off to recover attempted to get on only to be bronco'd off and crack a few ribs .
Apart from this incidence he is a love, not put a foot out of place and we have a incredibly strong bond for such a short time together (bought mid july) .

His back was sore but we are ever so close to be given the all clear to attempt to be ridden again so somewhere to clear my brain of it all would be nice the dh is bored to tears of horse talk .

Had his saddle checked today and thats got the ok, so just the horse to go....

Physio is out again next weds - if he gets the all clear then I have someone coming to start him off until I am completely up to trying again (with body protector this time!).

In the meantime we have been attempting clicker training, doing lots of ground work and walks out in hand.

OWA He sounds lovely - Fellow TB lover
Has he ever raced?
We also have issues with puddles .

[OscarWinningActress]

Hi Bonkey!

Fingers crossed you get the all-clear. Your boy sounds like a Dear.

OWH has never raced but his parents were racers and he's registered with the Jockey club. Apparently, he wasn't hyper enough, which is fine with me .

It's starting to feel chilly here today so I've ordered OWH his fall and winter wardrobe (I didn't have any blankets or sheets and he's going to be clipped). DH will NOT be amused when he finds out how much they cost .

[Bonkey]

Thanks - he is lovely.
Ridiculously quiet to handle.

Slowly building up his wardrobe too - all my mares rugs went with her so am starting from scratch again...aint cheap is it??

Had some bad news yesterday about Dshetty - think he may have done a tendon. Vet put the fear of god in me yesterday by saying worst case was he won't be here anymore.
Have since calmed down and will look at my options again when he gets scanned - he's only 10 and I have had him from 18months old another rescue case . We may have a rough year ahead trying to get him right or it may be it - I have no idea but praying there is a soloution :(

Currently on painkillers with a support bandage and seems fairly happy pottering around - fully expect to go down tomorrow and find the bandage chewed off but I can but try :)

[frostyfingers]

This seems to have gone very quiet, so thought I'd give it a quick bump. Dhorse is now fit, clipped and raring to go - we've been autumn hunting over the last couple of months and he started out quite quiet and has got progressively nuttier the more we went! It's the Opening Meet on Saturday so I'm a little apprehensive but hopefully we'll stay in one piece.

Dpony had another really bad bout of colic, we were moments away from making the decision to have him PTS but luckily he picked up just in time. The vet is pretty convinced it's pedunculated lipomas which are causing it - fatty lumps on stalks which get caught up and cause blockages. This last one happened overnight on a really wet and windy night so as well has having colicked for a good 3-4 hours the poor boy was hypothermic as well. He's now wearing a turnout sheet (and not overly impressed by it) as a way of at least warding off the worst of the weather if it happens again. The vet has said that if they are not overly frequent then treating him each time is ok, however if they are close together then we have to decide whether to continue. The last two were only 4 weeks apart so I have my fingers crossed that he doesn't have another bout too soon.

Would love to hear from anyone else who's been out and about, hope things are going ok.......

[frostyfingers]

I seem to be keeping this going by myself - where is everyone?! Dpony had another bout of colic 10 days ago which we caught early but the vet has recommended that we call time on him which is devastating news. She's right, but it's hard to take at the moment with him skipping around the field like a 2 year old - until the next time.

I have spent the last week looking for another companion, and hopefully will pick up our new family member next week - a Section A who was rescued as a colt from Wales and has been in the rescue since then - he's now 6. He's very pretty and although well handled has never worn a bridle or saddle so a bit of a project. He's quite nervous so it's going to take a while but I think I'd like to show him in hand next summer if he's up to it.......

Ideas on how to introduce a youngster to a bridle would be welcome!

It all means that I have to decide when to take dpony up to the kennels to be pts, it makes me feel sick really but I must summon up the courage before he goes down again - it's been 3 in 3 consecutive months, almost to the day. Dreading it.

[mrslaughan]

I'm here - still horse shopping...well thats a little bit of a lie, I have been so enjoying riding the horses I have been having lessons on, that I have let the horse shopping slide, plus the owner of the yard has a horse I may buy a half share in....I just am not quite good enough yet.
So all good on the riding front.
DH has started jumping again and loving it!

[mrslaughan]

Oh and frosty, I don't envy you your decision
and carrying it through with your dpony - I am absolutely positive you are doing the right thing, but it is still far from easy.

[frostyfingers]

New pony arrives Weds, passed his vets & his scope was clean so he'll be here in the morning. I'm planning on spending most of the day with them - he'll be in the stable and the other two will be on the yard so they can make contact but aren't able to kick him. He can retire to the back of the stable if he feels harassed! For the night I'll pop him out in the grass yard and put the others next to him but move the electric fence so there's a good gap between them. Hopefully they won't disappear off around the corner out of sight. The lady I'm getting him from said to do that for a couple of days and then just let them out into the field together as it's big enough for them to tear around and for new pony not to get cornered.

Glad things are going well MrsL - don't rush into something if you don't feel ready and if things are going well with the share then it's definitely worth sticking with for now.

[Pixel]

Hi all, I finally managed to get a ride on dhorse today, seems ages since I did as the weather has been foul and then when it was dry I didn't have my car so couldn't transport my tack.
By the time I'd scraped off a thick layer of dried mud I only had time for a quick ten minutes round the block and was so filthy I was barely fit to be seen in public . He was lovely though, he seems to have grown up all of a sudden and got almost sensible. He's finally realised that dried leaves skittering along the road are not going to kill him .

[frostyfingers]

How nice Pixel, sometimes nothing beats a good ride, even if it is only a short one.

This young man arrived yesterday - he's settling in quite well, but quite feisty so needs some attention paying to his manners, and reminding that I'm in charge of where we go on a walk, not him! I haven't put him out with the others yet, may do that this afternoon or tomorrow.

[Pixel]

Oh he's so pretty, just the sort of pony I imagined getting for dd. Shame she turned out to have zero interest in ponies!
I'm afraid the word 'feisty' does seem to go quite well with welsh ponies, but at least it means they have character so I'm sure he will be a lot of fun .